Michael Johnson es nuestro estudiante de la semana. Michael is not your ordinary foreign language learner. He takes the opportunities to learn material beyond class assignments and helps his fellow classmates when needed. Earlier this Spring, Michael participated as a lector for a bilingual Mass and did an amazing job reading in Spanish. You would have never guessed Spanish is not his first language. Michael is a very kind and respectful to all he comes in contact with. I look forward to seeing more accomplishments from him and I’m pleased to nominate Michael Johnson as student of the week. ¡Felicidades Michael!~Mrs. Sobarzo

My student of the week is Ryan Michel. Ryan is a senior this year and the more I ponder that fact, the more I remember about him all those years ago as an ICS student. I’ve known Ryan since he first began here way back in Kindergarten. I had him in the After School Program and atCamp Comet and the stories I could tell are many! This school year Ryan was one of the office aides. There was never a task we asked him to do that he didn’t just get up and get to it. I’ve also enjoyed watching him scoot in at the last second for morning announcements! What I love most about being around this school so long, is getting to watching him grow all 13 years. To see that little blonde boy who would get a bit cranky if a soccer game wasn’t going his way grow up into a genuinely nice & helpful young man. That is something to treasure. Thank your Ryan for all the memories and best wishes for your future!~Mrs. Stokes

Madison Morris is an easy pick for student of the week. We recently finished up speech contest in 7th grade. Madison’s first choice was to do a serious interpretation of MLK’s I Have a Dream speech. Though I know she would have done really well, I challenged her to see if she could put her own spin by writing an original speech, she did not disappoint. Madison’s speech was titled, He Had a Dream, it was beautiful and creative and inspiring. I am so proud of Madison and the leap she took. Many of the judges made a point to tell me that her speech was fantastic.Through out speech contest, Madison exemplified both Intellectual Competency and Open to Growth. I can count on Madison to be well prepared, willing to learn, and respectful to myself and her classmates. Thanks for making out classroom a better place!- Mrs. Swartz

At Monroe, we often talk about servant leadership, introducing the senior year with a retreat on leadership and service. My choice for student of the week this week has exemplified this leadership during her time here at Monroe.In the beginning, assuming a new leadership position can be exhilarating, as you receive the accolades of friends, peers, and parents. The thrill of having people look to you for solutions or for advice can be an overwhelming honor, filling one with joy. This is the side of leadership that most often enters the mind when one imagines being a leader – that and, of course, the phenomenal cosmic power. Whether class president or CEO of a company, that initial euphoria fades as you either learn the servant nature of leadership, or quickly loose the rank to which you have risen.Servant leadership can be lonely, and, sometimes, frustrating as you try to balance the needs and desires of your various constituents, all of whom have demands, some of which might be at odds. As class president, you must perfectly balance the spinning demands of your peers, tradition, your parents, your advisor, and the intractable administration all at the same time. Complicating this complex balancing act is the fact that sometimes meeting the demands of one group will harm – or even infuriate – another. Some of the demands are impossible and sometimes they are selfish. Sometimes, the demands are needs, and you have to do your best. All the while, you are a human being with your own flaws, your own homework, and your own goals and dreams.Jordyn Sager, the senior class president, is my pick for student of the week. For the last several years, I have seen her support her classmates – nearly all of them – with very little acclaim and with humility. I have seen her come to my office to plead the case of a peer who was in trouble, to sit daily with a peer who needed help to pass a class, and to argue the desires of her classmates even when she knew I would say no. I have watched her try to find a peaceful compromise solution for a contentious class decision between groups that would not see compromise. All of this, she has done quietly, with humility, and often without thanks.As principal, what impresses me most is not the public acts of Jordyn Sager as class president, but the quiet, unsung acts as a friend, peer, and servant to her classmates – the servant who would help them understand a problem, write a paper, or find the main idea. Thank you, Jordyn, for doing so much for your class over the years. You have done well.-Mr. Riggs